Mini Gallery

The new State Farm commercial ‘State of Anonymity’ is one of the best spots I have seen in a long time. The first time I saw it I had no idea it was an insurance commercial until the chorus “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.”
The timing, the use of the Cheers theme song by Gary Portnoy, the time lapse, the DSLR look and overall photography shows that the real talent out there in filmmaking is in advertising.

If you know the story behind this, the agency that made it or the DP please comment below.

I know what you mean, Richard. Theme songs should be off limits. However, the fact that this works so well makes it the exception to the rule. You think about the message and the theme in new ways after viewing this spot, and that is the point.

Saw it for the first time last night, and I immediately thought it was one of the freshest, most striking commercials I’ve seen in a long time. Because the “Cheers” theme song is so iconic, introducing it in a different context was an immediate attention-getter. Then to watch at how well they married the visuals in the commercial to the message of the song was fascinating.

I guess reading comments indicates the commercial is potentially divisive in reaction, but as 40-somethings, both my wife and I found it to be sheer brilliance.

I am confused. How can the co-opting of a song about close and dear friends, formed by authentic and comic life experiences be associated with an insurance company whose activity is involved in billing an unknown person and fulfilling its obligations by have phone centers and evaluators send you a check. This is what is so wrong with the modern world–the illusion of authenticity, the pretense of connection preformed by some commercial and temporary moment. I have nothing against the appropriation of a piece of music for marketing purpose, but I do against the naviete that sees it as being true.